5 Chris Jones

Ryan Greene's Take: The Shadow Ridge High product switched from quarterback to safety before the 2008 season thanks to the team's need at that position and was thrust into duty before he was ready because of injuries to those ahead of him on the depth chart. However, that experience — combined with him adding bulk to his 6-foot-2 frame — makes the move look like a smart one in retrospect as he enters 2009 as a starter in the secondary.

UNLV: The two-way prep star who moved from quarterback to safety during the first week of camp as a freshman and went on to start two games on defense ... A superb athlete with enviable size and instincts, he is listed No. 1 at the strong safety spot heading into his sophomore season ... Is not only a prized local player but also a Rebel football legacy and product of two former elite UNLV athletes.

2008: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in 11 games, including starting two at safety vs. BYU and Wyoming ... Finished with 22 total tackles.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2008 graduate of Shadow Ridge HS ... A PrepStar West Coast All-Region honoree who lettered three years for coach Gabe Gledhill ... Played both ways for the Mustangs, lining up at QB and LB as a senior and WR and DB as a junior ... Threw for 1,111 yards with 15 TDs on offense and totaled 63 tackles and three sacks on defense in 2007 ... Ranked the No. 9 recruit in Nevada by Scout ... Was also a member of the SRHS bowling and track teams.

PERSONAL: Christopher Kirk Jones was born on April 24, 1990, in Las Vegas ... The son of Cheryl Jones and the late Kirk Jones ... His father was a star RB for the Randall Cunningham-led 1984 UNLV conference and bowl championship team ... Jones still ranks third in school history with 2,656 rushing yards from 1983-86 and went on to appear on three NFL rosters ... His mother, the former Cheryl Cheeks, ran track at UNLV and was a member of the three-time All-American 4x100 relay team from 1987-89 ... Majoring in graphic design.

--Courtesy of UNLVrebels.com